Israel demolishes Arab homes

August 14, 1997 9:00am

JERUSALEM, Aug. 13 (JTA) — The Jerusalem municipality has demolished five illegally built Arab structures in a refugee camp in eastern Jerusalem. During Wednesday’s demolitions, residents of the camp threw stones, lightly injuring a border policeman. In the days after two terrorists carried out a July 30 suicide attack in Jerusalem, killing 14 Israelis, Israeli officials have carried out numerous demolitions of what they said were illegally built Arab homes. Israeli officials were scheduled to carry out three more orders, but one order was suspended after an Arab family whose son was wounded in the July 30 attack petitioned a court to halt the demolition. Palestinian officials have charged that the demolitions are an attempt by Israel to change facts on the ground prior to final-status discussions between the two sides. Israel counters that the demolitions have been carried out only in cases where the homes should not have been built in the first
place.